Transcript

Early in the spring of 1850, my brother Lorenzo and I took up our line of march from St. Joseph to Council Bluffs, my brother Jerry [Jeremiah] having gone home to get ready for the journey. Our entire outfit consisted of three wagons five yoke of oxen and sixteen cows all of which we worked in the yoke. Our family consisting of myself and two brothers and our two sisters, Adelin[e] and Elizabeth, made a kind of "co-op" outfit; my brother Jerry was married and had with him his wife [Louisa Pool Alexander Hatch] and one or two children.

Our company was organized at Sarpee's point, Apostle Orson Hyde giving us his "send off." The company consisted of fifty wagons; and Bishop David Evans was our captain.

On the 15th of June, we crossed the Missouri River on flat boats and then commenced the journey across the plains. I drove my own team.

The usual drives, camps, meetings, buffalo hunts, stops to set wagon tires, talks with Indians, (all trying to keep good-natured) were the incidents of the trip. I took great delight in the buffalo hunt, was considered quite an expert hunter, and assisted in killing several.

On September 15th, 1850 we entered Salt Lake Valley by the way of Parley's canyon; and from the elevated bench, near the eastern foot-hills of the mighty Wasatch Range, on that lovely day, we beheld for the first time the valley and waters of the great basin of the Rocky Mountains, with whose history and people my life's labor has been so closely interwoven. The company disbanded and our three wagons passed on to the banks of the Jordan River.